Photo: Getty Images
The Rolling Stones are one of the most famous bands of all-time. The British rock band was formed in London in 1962 by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ian Stewart, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. Their musical success has never waned over the decades with hits like Gimme Shelter, Paint it Black, Ruby Tuesday and Street Fightin’ Man. As famous as they are for their music, they are equally famous for their hard partying ways.
On September 15th, famed tequila makers Jose Cuervo released two limited edition tequilas to honor the Rolling Stones and their party-filled lives. The bottles are the Jose Cuervo Especial and Reserva de la Familia. What makes them special is the tie-in with one of the most famous rock bands of all time: The Rolling Stones. They are calling it “The Rolling Stones Tour Pick”. This collaboration came to be because the makers of Jose Cuervo felt the time was right to celebrate the famous relationship between the British band and the Mexican tequila. This relationship began in 1972 when The Rolling Stones went on their infamous “Tequila Sunrise Tour” around the United States.
The bottles were created to pay homage to the “Tequila Sunrise Tour”. This was a tour where quite a lot of tequila (among other substances) was consumed. It was also referred to as the American Tour, but received the moniker “Tequila Sunrise Tour” because the band tried the famous cocktail at a private event at the Trident Restaurant in Sausalito, California. They loved the drink so much that they decided to drink it throughout the tour while encouraging fans to drink it as well. This led to a return in popularity for a drink that had been all but forgotten at the time.
Obviously, they used Jose Cuervo as the base of the cocktail. For those who don’t know much about the “Tequila Sunrise”, it consists of 3 ounces of orange juice, one and a half ounces of tequila and a half ounce of Grenadine syrup.
The Varieties
© Jose Cuervo
Special Edition Rolling Stones Jose Cuervo Especial – If you like to rock (hard), this is the right tequila for you. Adorned with Rolling Stones related artwork, this tequila is perfectly paired with a guitar and good friends. This 81 proof tequila consists of the Cuervo family’s famous blue agave recipe and sells for a reasonable $16.99.
The Ultra Premium Rolling Stones Reserva de la Familia Collectors Edition is not only the longest name ever for a tequila, it’s a release of the Cuervo Family’s private reserve Extra Anejo tequila. This one is a little more special than the first one and sells for $149.99.
The branding came to be because Jose Cuervo hadn’t yet paid tribute to the iconic tour that took place way back in 1972. On New Years Eve, Mick, Keith and the rest were treated to a “Tequila Sunrise” made with Jose Cuervo. They continued to imbibe the drink for the remainder of the tour (48 shows in 32 cities across the US). The creators of the “Tequila Sunrise” were Bobby Lazoff and Billy Rice. Since they couldn’t get enough of the drink, they decided to nickname the tour “The Tequila Sunrise Tour.
